Lee's Sema'J Davis (1) attempts to score against San Angelo Central's Adam West (23) during the first round of the Byron Johnston Holiday Classic on Wednesday, Dec. 28, 2016, at Chaparral Center. James Durbin/Reporter-Telegram

Lee's Sema'J Davis (1) attempts to score against San Angelo Central's Adam West (23) during the first round of the Byron Johnston Holiday Classic on Wednesday, Dec. 28, 2016, at Chaparral Center. James

- Both Lee and MHS enter this all-important affair especially hungry for a victory after tough losses to open the district season Friday. The Rebels grinded to the end in a 78-74 home loss to Odessa High, while the Bulldogs got a taste of Class 6A’s No. 17-ranked team, Amarillo Tascosa, in an 83-57 defeat.

In what should be a tight district, the difference between 1-1 and 0-2 could prove to be massive.

- The Bulldogs have won the last six meetings against the Rebels by an average of 12.3 points per game. But this season, the two rivals might be more evenly matched than they’ve been in the last three years. Can Lee snap the losing streak and put themselves in the driver’s seat for the potentially critical head-to-head tiebreaker?

- At least on paper, the Rebels have a key mismatch positioned in their favor.

Senior point guard Sema’J Davis could pose a problem for a particularly small MHS backcourt. This is Davis’ fourth season playing against MHS with Lee’s varsity squad and he’s scored an average of 12.6 points per game versus the Bulldogs dating back to his sophomore season.

As he showed on the football field as the Rebels’ quarterback in the fall, Davis’ size and athletic ability make him difficult to slow down. At 6-foot-1, he might require a rotation of defensive attention from the Bulldogs. If he has his way, Lee has a real chance of picking up a huge win.

- On the other end, the Bulldogs’ streaky 3-point shooting could present defensive trouble for the Rebels. When guards Camran Rock, Ty Kendrick and Courtney McMaryion are connecting from the outside, MHS tends to pick up the pace, score quickly and score in bunches. How well the Rebels close out on the Bulldogs’ shooters will also be key today.

- Down low, the battle for the interior should be interesting. Lee will trot out seasoned and aggressive senior forward James Lydia, who is coming off a 22-point game in the Rebels’ loss against OHS on Friday. Lydia’s motor earns Lee a few extra possessions each game and he is usually good for at least a handful of easy buckets in the paint.

MHS will match up physical forwards Dillon Springer, Joseph Barron and Suddin Sapien against Lydia in the post. That’s a group looking to contribute more consistently on offense for the Bulldogs and what better time to break out than against rival Lee?